With the rise in ransomware attacks, keeping your Windows PC secured has become more important than ever. It is to be noted the first line of defense for Windows PCs is the Windows Updates. A fully patched Windows Update has way fewer vulnerabilities than older or outdated versions. However, here is a list of Best Free Malware Removal Tools that you must have in your personal utility software suite.

Here is the list of Top Best Malware Removal Tools:

Malwarebytes

Malwarebytes is the first choice in the list of Best Free Malware Removal Tools. The paid version has a four-layered real-time protection that focuses more on behavioral detection instead of signature based detection. The free version can be used as a second opinion scanner to root out malware and rootkits that your conventional anti-virus could have missed. Malwarebytes is one of the most used programs to remove malware once the system becomes infected.

HitmanPro

HitmanPro is a standalone scanning tool that can scan and remove active malware threats. The program uses signature from the top AV companies – Bitdefender and Kaspersky. HitmanPro uses cloud scanning, which means that internet connection is needed during the scan. This guarantees exceptional detection ratios and lightning fast scans. HitmanPro also removes tracking cookies from all your browsers, thereby providing increased privacy. This puts HitmanPro in the number two position of the Best Free Malware Removal Tools.

Emsisoft Emergency Kit

Emsisoft Emergency Toolkit is a portable malware scanner and removal tool. Emsisoft also uses Bitdefender’s signatures. It comes with a pretty straightforward interface, can work without the internet and straight off a USB drive. You can put it on a USB drive and update it from a clean computer and use it to scan an infected one. EEK is quite a flexible and verbose program, with a clean and modern UI and comprehensive scanning options.

Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool

KVRT by Kaspersky is a reliable portable scanning and malware removal tool that can detect and remove almost all common malware. The program has not received any major updates since 2015 but still gets signature updates. Available as a single standalone executable, KVRT focuses on signature-based scanning and removing the more critical threats.

Windows Defender

As a part of Windows 10’s protection software suite, Windows Defender boasts 98.8{3e360c66bec737334d8cac0ef6779f79bab228a97faea55659a5b372c2ba71c3} scores in Real-World Protection Tests by AV-Comparatives, with detection rates at par with most major security software. In the new Creator’s Update, Windows Defender received an overhaul with improved detection rates and malware removal. Windows Defender Offline enables users to remove even the most stubborn malware. This makes Windows Defender one of the primary choices for security software for most home users.

Some Honorable Mentions

AdwCleaner:

AdwCleaner is a standalone malware removal tool that focuses on removing annoying adware such as toolbars and browser hijacks.

Microsoft MSRT:

Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool is malware removal tool like KVRT that is automatically downloaded and run by Windows via Windows Update. However, you can manually download and use to scan systems too.

Spybot Search & Destroy:

Aimed at more advanced users, Spybot Search & Destroy is a complete malware and spyware removal tool. The paid version has real time protection options too.

Ad-aware Antivirus:

New in the security software scene, Ad-aware Antivirus has a free edition that offers real time protection against viruses. The program has a modern and intuitive interface, and decent detection ratios, which is slightly behind Windows Defender. It is a great option for PCs running older versions of Windows.